Saudi Arabia turns to its other natural energy source: the sun

If you’re looking to identify the mecca for solar power, here’s a humble suggestion: Mecca. According to a Bloomberg report , the holy city in Saudi Arabia is accepting bids to build 100 megawatts of solar capacity to power the city. The plans are the latest indication that the desert kingdom is stepping up efforts to diversify its sources of energy as economic and population growth threaten to erode Saudi Arabia’s status as the world’s biggest oil exporter. The central government is seeking $109 billion of investment for building a solar industry, aiming to get a third of Saudi Arabia’s power from the sun by 2032 compared with almost none now. The target is almost as much as the $136 billion invested worldwide in solar energy last year, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Mecca during the Hajj, 2008. (Photo by Al Jazeera .) That’s the interesting flip side to the e...